Nerves, and fibers, and slowly built-up cells The neurobiological basis behind ‘wanting’, ‘liking’ and compulsion
Summary
This
thesis
will
deal
with
‘wanting’,
‘liking’
and
compulsion
and
the
role
they
play
in
addiction
and
OCD.
In
this
thesis
we’ll
be
‘zooming-‐in’
on
the
problem,
starting
the
a
description
of
the
behavior
followed
by
several
chapters
focusing
on
the
specific
brain
regions
involved
and
finally
a
discussion
of
the
relevant
neurotransmitters.
To
do
this
we
will
be
discussing
addiction
and
obsessive
compulsive
disorders
(OCD).
These
are
examples
of
disorders
in
which
‘wanting’,
‘liking’
and
compulsion
have
been
implicated.
We’ll
then
look
at
imaging
studies
and
other
experiments
that
have
identified
the
brain
regions
involved
in
the
behavior
that
we
are
interested
in.
To
really
try
to
understand
the
neural
substrate
of
‘wanting’,
‘liking’
and
compulsion
the
specific
cells
and
mechanisms
will
have
to
be
explored,
this
will
be
done
in
chapters
three
and
four.
These
two
chapters,
the
key
chapters
of
this
thesis,
will
deal
with
the
core
of
the
problem:
the
exact
cells
and
mechanisms
that
produce
‘wanting’,
‘liking’
and
compulsion.
In
the
words
of
Oscar
Wilde
we
will
be
investigating:
‘(the)
nerves,
and
fibres,
and
slowly
built-up
cells
in
which
thought
hides
itself
and
passion
has
its
dreams’.